


The Lady in Red

by Living_Pretty



Series: The Way You Look Tonight [1]
Category: The Wayhaven Chronicles (Interactive Fiction)
Genre: F/M, Felix teases everyone, Fluff, everybody gets nice suits
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-04
Updated: 2020-08-04
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:06:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25703290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Living_Pretty/pseuds/Living_Pretty
Summary: Mayor Friedman is throwing a gala, and Mason has to wear a suit.
Relationships: Female Detective/Mason (The Wayhaven Chronicles)
Series: The Way You Look Tonight [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1864132
Comments: 9
Kudos: 28





	The Lady in Red

“This is ridiculous,” said Mason, whirling around to face Adam and Nate and tugging at the collar of the starched shirt Nate had all but physically wrestled him into. The stiff fabric grated against his skin and Mason grit his teeth.

“But you look so nice and respectable!” Felix nimbly dodged the cushion that Mason hurled at him, his infuriating smile never leaving his face. He looked very pleased about his own deep blue suit jacket, with metallic threads stitching intricate, swirling patterns across the expensive fabric. 

“This whole thing is a waste of time!” Snarled Mason, stomping away from the couch Felix had thrown himself upon.

“While I don’t disagree,” said Adam, frowning down at Nate who was adjusting the leader’s grey tie, “Agent Avilez has informed us it is also unavoidable.”

“But,”

“Mason you can suffer through wearing a suit for a couple of hours,” said Nate, stepping back from Adam and admiring his handiwork. He gave a satisfied nod, a small smile gracing his lips. Out of all of them, he seemed the most relaxed in his ensemble, a simple cut suit with a dark red jacket and black pants. An uncharacteristically bold color but one that suited his warm, tawny skin quite well. Felix swiped up the cushion that had almost knocked his head off and grinned at Mason, tossing it in the air and catching it again,

“Besides,” he said, his dark eyebrows wiggling suggestively, “aren’t you at least a little excited to see what our dear Detective is wearing tonight?” He lobbed the pillow at Mason who batted it away in annoyance.

“I’m more excited to think about what she’ll be wearing _later_ tonight, which will hopefully be nothing.”

“Mason!”

He waved away Nate’s affronted expression and rolled his shoulders, frowning at the strain that it put on the well-tailored jacket. 

“It’ll be impossible to put up any kind of a fight in this thing,” he muttered, twisting this way and that in front of his muddied reflection in the Warehouse’s window. At least the jacket and the itchy shirt were both inky blacks. He glowered at himself and was slightly mollified to see that he still did look rather imposing, even in this monkey suit.

“There is unlikely to be any reason to put up a fight,” said Adam, tugging on the sleeves of his own simple black suit, “but, if there is,” he raised an eyebrow over at Mason, “I highly doubt something like a jacket will stand in your way.”

“Damn right,” grumbled Mason. Already his skin prickled uncomfortably, and his fingers twitched to his pocket where his lighter sat. He knew however that smoking was probably going to be off the table for most of the night, a thought that did little to soothe his temper. 

“Danni’s already there,” said Felix, his thumbs moving so quickly across his phone screen that they were practically a blur, “she says we better hurry.” 

Mason groaned, rolling his head forward before squaring his shoulders, 

“Fine,” he muttered, “let’s get this over with.”

* * *

Despite it being mid-Spring there was still a bite to the air and Detective Daniela Avilez shivered, tugging her cropped leather jacket tighter around herself. It might have been stylish, as Tina insisted, but it wasn't doing much to help fight off the chill. 

“There you are,” Daniela looked over her shoulder to see her mother, gliding along with her usual ease in her high heels. 

“Damn mum,” Daniela raised an eyebrow at her mother’s elegant, and rather form-fitting, cocktail dress. “You’re usually dressed to the nines but this,” she smirked, “Mayor Friedman is going to be practically drooling.”

Her mother rolled her eyes, her manicured hands skimming over the emerald green satin gathered flatteringly over her hips.

“Maybe that was his motive behind this party all along,” continued Daniela, eyebrows still raised in a manner that was a little too reminiscent of Agent Haughville for Rebecca’s taste, “not so much a ‘Celebration of Civil Servants’ so much as a celebration of the fact that my mum has _definitely_ still got it.”

“Daniela please,”

“I’m just practicing my deductive skills,” said Daniela with a grin, “teasing out people’s true motives is part of my job description after all.”

A low whistle interrupted them and Daniela turned to see Felix bounding forward to meet them as the rest of Unit Bravo trailed at a more reasonable pace behind. 

“Look at _you_ ,” he crowed, taking Daniela’s hand and guiding her into a twirl, “you look awesome! You too, Agent Avilez.”

“Thank you, Felix.” Said Rebecca with a soft smile.

“You clean up pretty well yourself,” said Daniela with a grin, “Nice suit.”

“Oh, this old thing.” Felix tugged on the lapels of his jacket, his amber eyes sparkling with mirth.

“You both look lovely,” said Nate, while Adam’s eyes swept along the glittering sight of City Hall, no doubt frowning at all the access points the large, gleaming windows provided.

As the rest of Unit Bravo joined them at the bottom of the stairs leading up to City Hall, Daniela’s eyes instantly found Mason, who was skulking at the back of the group. If she didn’t know him better it would almost seem as if he were trying to hide. 

* * *

Even from the bottom of the stairs, Mason could hear the clinking of glasses, the scratching of bows over violins being tuned, and the overwhelming scent of a dozen perfumes and colognes mixing in a small space. He could feel Danni’s eyes on him but didn’t want to look her way yet. From what he’d seen a distance, and Felix’s loud comments, he figured he’d want to fully enjoy that sight, not be overwhelmed by the party before it even started. He closed his eyes for a moment, straining his ears until he heard the comforting and familiar thud of Danni’s heartbeat until all he could smell was the soft and subtle scent of her. Her warm skin, the lingering whiff of coffee and printer ink from the station, and the trace of what he’d discovered was supposed to be apple blossoms from her shampoo. 

“Hey, you coming or what?”

Mason opened his eyes and saw Danni standing on the bottommost step. The rest of the group were already at the doors, Felix almost bouncing in his excitement, but they were just distant blips on his radar as his lips slowly curled in a smirk as he raked his eyes lazily over the detective standing on the step above him. Mason had never seen Danni in anything other than her work clothes. Boring pantsuits mostly when they’d first met, then more practical cargo pants and tee shirts after the Murphy fiasco. And she’d always kept her dark curly hair wrangled into a bun or a braid.

“You know,” he said, taking a step closer, “normally I’m much more impressed with what’s under people’s clothes, but,” he paused, slowly tracing his lip with his tongue, “red is a pretty damn good color on you, Avilez.”

Danni smirked and brushed a hand down her tight red skirt. The warm light of City Hall danced in her dark brown eyes and caught in every curl of her hair which tumbled free over her shoulders.

“Well, don’t get too used to the dress,” she said with a shrug, “I doubt I’m ever going to wear it again.”

“Shame,” he murmured, and he jumped up onto the step to join her. She didn’t even flinch at his sudden proximity, but Mason grinned at her suddenly skipping pulse, “guess I better get my full view now then,” he said, gesturing for her to proceed up the stairs. She rolled her eyes but Mason could see the smile tugging at her full lips, tinted the same shade as her dress. She started up the stairs, and he followed at a leisurely pace but tensed as they stood in the doorway to the party. The dazzling lights, the array food, the crush of people almost made him recoil. 

“Hey,” 

He felt Danni’s hand against his wrist, her fingertips feather-light against his pulse, and he looked down at her, muscles still taught.

“Just for a few minutes,” she said, her voice soft and her eyes warm, “then,” she wove her fingers into his, “why don’t you and I find a dark corner somewhere, to ah,” she smirked, “take a break.”

Mason smirked back, brushing his thumb across the Detective’s wrist, “I think that’s the best idea I’ve heard all night.”

**Author's Note:**

> I don't really know how this website works so....be gentle with me. I might give everybody multiple chapters because I'm a sap and also longwinded but we'll see. Thanks for reading!


End file.
